2) How to use LinkedIn Groups (a very powerful, one of the most powerful social media channels) effectively.

1. Network with others in the industry

This is the core function of LinkedIn, and even the most basic networking function of an employer reviewing the resume of and then connecting with a potential new team member, or X vender looking for X supplier, is still pretty incredible when you think about the time it took to put that thought together and follow through with it. Minutes. Boom.

Using groups are the real bread and butter of LinkedIn’s Power.

Posting I came across today:

Topic Type – REQUEST

Poster-“Hey I’m looking for a pro mixer to polish up a track…”

Response-‘O ya Im here, lets talk.”

Done.

I see people using LinkedIn effectively like this everyday, and more and more people are catching on and linking in. It’s only going to get better as people evolve in how they learn to better utilize this amazing technology.

For independent music makers and home studio music producers in the new music business I believe we are at a point where we are realizing that if everyone can do what their best at, and enjoys doing most, then EVERYONE wins… PLUS quality improves in every area.

By building specialized teams of session players, collaborators, production specialists like mixers, and mastering engineers, to song development people like songwriters, composers, lyricists, we are able to look at our production workflow in many new ways and this will be a refreshing and much needed solution to the low budget home studio and independent song production dilemma that has been the overwhelming DIY experience for so many of us.

Wearing so many hats is not a particularly desirable thing, and although some of us may like the adventure and experience of being a renaissance person, most of us would rather-if possible/practical, become a master craftsman in our primary areas and build a structure where we could work together to form a cohesive workflow balance of passion and effectiveness.

Let’s look at a typical example of an eager and optimistic new independent artist that wasn’t born into family wealth, and wasn’t particularly above average in polished natural talent and didn’t just happen onto the needed connections at the right time.

Going to change the world, a sound that’s their own, passionate, optimistic, singer, songwriter, musician, composer, producer, mastering engineer, record label, fundraiser, marketing coordinator, merchant, blogger, ezine publisher, beyond exhausted, brink of insanity, little return, what did we learn? Lets do it again? I used to just make MUSIC, what happened? AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

There’s got to be a better way. And we’re getting there. As a quick aside i’ve been working on some concepts and solutions relative to this, and if you’d like to share some thoughts, ideas, experiences, solutions, id love to hear them. (Connect with me on LinkedIn, twitter, or email)

2. Ask/answer questions

This is another one of the most incredible uses of the LinkedIn Groups, asking and answering questions.

Think about it, you can pose a question to a group of professionals and have people gladly responding and eager to help. This is great for building community and relationships, and just finding answers from groups of people who KNOW what they’re talking about.

…But isn’t that what forums are for? Well… Yes. Forums are great. And a great forum of great people can be truly amazing. Take the taxi forum for perfect example. Amazing people, great forum.

The LinkedIn groups are great for networking in a business sense. They’re usually not anyone’s “single home community,” yet they add the advantage of having a FULL credential profile for each member and adding the reach of daily email marketing on top of generally smaller, very niche-specific communities.

Answering and Asking questions are mutually beneficial, and you should do both, so get engaged!

3. Promote

(Again, it’s noteworthy to understand that the architecture of LinkedIn is not especially conducive to DIRECT fan building. I.E. People don’t frequently search LinkedIn for the latest new Blues act to hit the indie scene… Not that it can’t happen, its just not the first place most people would go to search for that.

But through promotion, interaction and involvement in LinkedIn groups you can build relationships, peak interest, and drive traffic to your properties from people interested to follow or learn more about you. Plus you never know who’ll be love and be a fan of your art.

4. Find opportunities

I mean, everyday I see another opportunity posted in one of the groups I’m apart of… New Independent “insert genre” music wanted for film/commercial/promo etc. “insert terms and description.” There are people who are running contests, give-aways, you name it. Use a little creativity to collaborate, hire a specialist, create a strategic partnership, and your off to the races.

3) How to drive free traffic from pre-qualified, interested leads to your website, music pages, and sales pages.

Utilize the power of LinkedIn’s mini communities called groups, many of which are not so mini. The important thing to remember is that when you post an interesting piece of content you are promoting a piece of content to a highly targeted group of people, and when you share a post on your profile you are sharing it throughout your entire network of connections.

By being engaged in groups, making new connections and continuously adding new people to your database you are increasing your network and reach. Sharing content (articles, videos, podcasts, blogs, etc) with your tiers of professional network and among these golden pockets of pro communities you are actively promoting your valuable content through the most powerful traffic and audience building strategy… Content marketing through engagement sharing.

Finally, by installing some custom Apps you can connect LinkedIn to your twitter and WordPress blog to automatically update and share new content you create from around the web and introduce another stream of traffic to your site and web pages.

Conclusion:

People who are using LinkedIn are serious about what they do, they are involved in their business and are therefore both a decision maker and a professional. By optimizing your profile you can be found at the top for people looking for you on the search engine for the most powerful business networking site on the planet.

Using LinkedIn groups is a great way to not only engage with others in your niche, but to also drive traffic to your pages to make sales and build your list. Make lots of connections. Post links to new articles from your blog, and get active in the discussions to find new contacts and collaborators, and remember, the LinkedIn email database, unlike twitter for example, is exportable… and therefore, yours. Forever.

Note: When I said big three social networking sites, I don’t mean there are no other sites you need to have and maintain a presence on, these are three however that you MUST have a presence on, and are the leader in their social networking category. But so there’s no confusion you also MUST have a presence on Myspace, and YouTube, if possible.

I hope you found the following article series helpful, and I encourage you to take action immediately… If you don’t do it now, you probably will lose the information shortly.

Jamie Leger is an Independent Singer Songwriter and Online Business/Marketing Coach who helps people with specialized knowledge or a message (i.e. authors, speakers, consultants, creative professionals and entrepreneurs) turn their expertise into an online BUSINESS that makes them cash, as well as build an authoritative online presence through private coaching and step by step instruction.

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Bernie L. says: I have been doing websites and online marketing for many "non-artist" sites. Now relaunching my music career, he is a Pro to have on my team. I believe Jamie is a reliable and one of the best sources for helping you to move your career forward (and make $). And in three words "It's his system" that impressed me. Oh, and he's a nice guy too B-)